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Blitzboks call Kankowski, Maritz

Date published: February 9 2016

Former Sharks number eight Ryan Kankowski and Pumas back Hoffman Maritz have joined the Blitzboks training squad in Stellenbosch.

Kankowski played in 20 Tests for the Springboks between 2007 and 2012 and last year signed a Sevens contract with SA Rugby following the completion of his club rugby commitment in Japan. He's been working hard on his conditioning since his recent arrival in Stellenbosch.

Maritz, who can play centre and full-back, is no stranger to Sevens and he me made all six of his appearances on the World Series in 2010.

The pair come in after Juan de Jongh and Cheslin Kolbe returned to the Stormers on Tuesday following appearances for the Springbok Sevens side in the first four rounds of the World Rugby Sevens Series.

De Jongh and Kolbe, as well as Ryno Benjamin of the Cheetahs, joined the Springbok Sevens squad at the beginning of the season as part of an agreement between SA Rugby and the local franchises.

The Cape duo of De Jongh and Kolbe starred in all four World Series tournaments for the Springbok Sevens, while a calf injury restricted Benjamin's appearances to just two events.

The trio, as well as some other local franchise stars, are expected to join the Springbok Sevens group again at the end of the World Series for an Olympic Games training camp.

Meanwhile in other injury news, Philip Snyman underwent scans to determine the extent of his shoulder injury, while Justin Geduld will be out of action for up to three weeks because of his shoulder niggle.